Feeding unit for tabulating machines



June 2;; 1942- J. E. EUTH 2,285,197 FEEDING UNIT FOR A TABULATINGMACHINE n Filed Jan, 6, 1941 m ii Patente d :JuneZ, 1 1:

' FEEDING UNIT ronu'anum'rmd' MACHINES 16ml 1:. nuts, Chicago, 111.,assignor to United Aut'ographic Register 00., a corporation of 1111-ApplicationJanuary e, 1941', Serial No. 373,372

fiClaims. (oi. 197433) This invention relates to stationery feeding andaligning devices for use in feeding stationery over the platen oftabulating machines, Addres'sograph machines, and the like.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and compactfeedingunit which is carried by the cross rodsof .a machine and has itsown guiding and adjusting mechanism.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting forthe guide member whereby it may belocked in operative pcsition,

' same manner.

but readily released and held out of the way.

during a loading operation. v,

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple built-inadjusting device whereby the unit may he slid quickly to agposition nearits final position and then adjusted accurately to a rotatable squarener. A threaded shaft I3 is carried by the members 6 and I and servestoposition the feeding unit in the frame. A tie rod 14 clamps themembets 6 and I together in proper spaced relationship andalso serves asa transverseguide for supporting one end of the feeding'unit.

in Figure 1 only-one feeding unit is illustrated, but it willbeunderstoodthat one or more similar units may be provided and supportedin the The feeding unit has a sheet metal housing I5 made up of twoparts I54: and

' lob which are held in spacedrelation leaving a final position. Intypewriting machines of this type it will be understood that it is everyessential to have the feed mechanism and its vertical guides alignedvery accurately with the platen of the machine. I I

The invention is illustrated'in a preferred embodiment in the.accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l'is a broken angular plan viewof an attachment embodying the invention; Figure 2, a broken sideelevatlonal view of the feed mechanism mounted on the tie rod and shaftsof the frame; Figure 3, a sectional view of the adjusting mechanism,taken as indicated at line 3 of Figure 2: Figure i, a sectional view,taken as indicated at line 4 of Figure 3; and Figure 5, a per- 'spectiveview of the cap which confines the split-nut.

The invention is illustrated as applied to an attachment 'foratabulating machine. This attachment maybe placed on a standardtabulating machine and held in position without th'e'use of. any bolts,clamps or other securing means. In the ordinary tabulating machine, asillustrated in Jensen Patent No. 2,l30,015, the attachment is drivenfrom a gear' on the platen roll of the.

machine. By 7 suitable gearing the drive shaft of the attachment isrotated in timed relation to the platen roll and drives the conveyermembers equipped with register pins to engage in perforations in thestationery., 1

. In the present device .end frames 6 and I are provided at their lowerends with U-shaped keepers 8 and Swhich fit over and engage sup-'porting parts on the tabulating machine to hold the device in position.A gear housing [0 is provided atthelower end of the frame member 1respect to slot l6 through which the feed pins ll extend.

A sprocket wheel 19 is journalled in the lower end of the housing and isprovided with a star shaped socket 2i] which makes a splined engagementwith the driving shaft 12. An idler pulley 2| is journalled in the upperportion of the housing IS on a stub shaft 22. A link belt 23 is carriedby the wheels 19 and 24 and carries a continuous series of feed pins H.The upper end of the housing is provided with fixed guides 24 whichdisengage the pins from perforations in the stationery as the pins passtherebetween.

An adjusting device 25 is journalled in the housing l5, as shown inFigure 3, and has an enlarged head -26 which is slotted to receive ahalf-nut 21 provided with a cut-away clearance opening 28. The nut isurged into threaded engagement with the shaft I3 by means of a spring 29which bears against a flange 30 and has a closure cap 3| held inposition by screws 32. The nut has an outwardly extending portion '33which may be depressed so that the entire unit may be slid along thecross rods of the device to a desired position. The finger piece is thenreleased and by rotating the head 26 bodily, a very accurate adjustmentof the feeding unit with respect to the frame may'be readily obtained. Acompression' spring 34 merely increases the friction to resist rotationand change in position-of the housing.

1 A slotted guide member 35 is pivotally mounted on the stub shaft 22 bymeans of a slot 36 and is held in position by a nut 31. The guide memberhas a slotted portion it which is adapted to hold the stationery inengagement with the pins l"| when in operative position, as shown inFigures 1 and 2. One end 'ofthe guide member has a hook shaped finger 39which is adapted to engage the shank of. a cap screw 40. The other endof the guide member is cut to form a curved sector I and contains atrain of gears II which drives 4 and th de embe s urged bodily o;

shaft. I: in well known manng positio b'y meansof a crank 42 acted upony nsion spring 43.

Thus ill be understood that when it is desired to swing the guide memberout of operative position to facilitate loading, it is merely necessaryto pull the guide member downwardly against the action of latch 42 andswing it upwardly about the pivot 22. The spring pressed latch 42 willbear against the sector 4| so as to hold the guide member up in an outof the way position. To return the guide'member to latching position itis merely necessary to press it down firmly and the hook 39 will snapover the cap screw 40. v

On the opposite side of the housing is a fixed plate 44 which isslotted, as indicated, at 45, to make slidable connection with the tierod l4. Thus itwill-be understood that the housing is supported by thetie rod I 4 and the screw shaft l3.

If desired, the screw shaft I! may be mounted so as to be rotatable anda crank provided at one end. Thus rotation of the shaft I; will causethe housing to move laterally. However, it is preferred to have thethreaded shaft fixed 3. A device as specified in claim 1, in which thepivotal connection of the guide member is of the pin-and-slot type, theguide member has a hook which is adapted to engage a stud on the housingand the guide member also has a curved sector frictionally engaged byspring means, said means urging the guide member bodily into latchedposition when the latter is in operative tachment having a 'drivingshaft and a threaded shaft, comprising: a housing provided with a pairof pulleys carrying endless belt conveyers provided with outwardlyextending feed pins, one

. of said pulleys being hollow andmaking a splined against rotation sothat it may also serve as a tie rod for the frame.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled in theart.

I claim:

l. A stationery feeding and aligning unit,

. adapted to be carried by the frame of a machine, comprising: a housingprovided with a pair of pulleys carrying an endless :belt conveyerprovided with outwardly extending register pins; a guide member todirect stationery into feeding engagement with said pins, said guidemember being pivotally mounted on a shaft extending throughthe housingto permit it to be turned away from operative position to facilitateloading; and spring-held latching means for releasably holding the guidein operative position.

2. A device as specified in claim 1, in which thepivotal connection ofthe guide member is of the pin-and-slot type, the guide member has ahook which is adapted to engage a stud on the driving connection withthe driving shaft; and positioning means journalled in said housingineluding a nut releasably engaging the threaded I shaft of the frameand rotatable bodily to move the housing on said shafts.

5. A device as specified in claim 4, in which the nut has its'threadscut away and the opening enlarged in one portion, and the threadedportion is urged into engagement with the threaded shaft by means of aspring, said nut having an outwardly extending finger piece which isdepressible to release threaded engagement with the shaft.

6. A laterally adjustable feeding and aligning unit, on the frame of atypewriting machine attachment having a rotatable driving shaft, athreaded shaft and a tie rod, said unit comprising: a housing in whichis joumalled a pair of pulleys carrying an endless belt provided withoutwardly extending feed pins, one of said pulleys being hollow andmaking a splined driving connection with the driving shaft; a guideplate' housing, and a spring urges\ the guide member housing withrespect to said frame.

bodily into locked position.

JOHN E. EUTH.

